Until last week.
One night last week, I get up at 1 a.m. go to the bathroom, climb back into bed and am ready to re-enter dreamland when BAM! Nothing happens. I lie there wide awake listening to the a/c hum and trying to make myself sleep. I lay there and lay there. I open my eyes and look at the clock --2 a.m. uh-oh I have to get up in two hours, this will never do!! I lay there some more and by about 3:15 a.m. I believe I fall asleep only to have the hubby wake me up at 4 a.m.. I drag ass at work that day. But I figure it was a fluke and since I am so tired I will definitely sleep fine tonight.
No such luck. Up again at 1 a.m. for the potty run...wide awake until 3 a.m.. This is not good. This will not do! This happens all of last week and into this week. I am not a happy camper. I take my sleep very seriously and while I know that when the Lil Sweet Pea arrives sleep will be compromised I also know I will not have to get up everyday and make the hour and a half commute down to work and teach thirty second graders on very little sleep. I will at least be home and most likely still in my PJs!
I still have two weeks of regular school to go and four weeks of summer session left to teach so I need to do something so I can get some semblance of a good night's sleep. So I go to THE BOOK. You know the one-- What To Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff. The one I have dog eared pages upon pages in over the past six months. The one my husband keeps threatening to take away from me because he says it makes me "neurotic". (So I may just get a teensy bit anxious and down-right panicky at times if I or my body seem to be doing something not according to "THE BOOK" is that neurotic??? -- I seem to drive the Hubby crazy..) Anyways so to the book because yet again last night there I am twiddling my thumbs in the darkness wide awake and frustrated....
Here is what THE BOOK said " Don't just lie there. When sleep's eluding you-and you've run out of sheep to count-get up and do something relaxing (read, watch TV until you feel sleepy." Which would be great advice except for one small problem. By the time I get sleepy enough to go back to sleep it is time for me to get up for work!!!! Ahhh...
I also did not find this gem from THE BOOK helpful either " Don't lose sleep over losing sleep. Stressing about your lack of shut-eye will only make it harder to grab any. In fact, sometimes just letting go of that "will I ever fall asleep? worry is all it takes to drop off to dreamland." Ummm not helpful to me either. I just may be handing THE BOOK over to the Hubby....
Hopefully this only a little phase my Lil Sweet Pea is putting me through and soon I will be able to sleep more normally again. In the meantime--its the crack of dawn and I have gotten the laundry done and all the dishes cleaned so I may be sleepless in Podville but at least I'm productive!! LOL
If anyone has any tips or advice on sleep I'd love to hear them!! Thanks so much!!
Much luv!!
Laura
ah, the beginning of a long, long period of shite sleep. Blech. Hm...why don't you try setting your 'mental' clock ahead of time for midnight instead? Then you'll feel more relaxed because you can lie awake till 1 if you need to, which was your old time anyway.
ReplyDeleteToss that book out and buy good old fashioned Dr. Spock. He is AWESOME. Maybe he doesn't have as much pre-birth stuff in his book though, but I found him far more reassuring.
I had the same problem for a long time in the first trimester. I just associated mine sleep issues with stress and the fact that I was going through a separation trial with my soon-to-be exhusband. I would get up pee and stay awake for anywhere between 1-1/2 hour to 3-1/2 hours...it sucked! I found the only way to fall back asleep was to watch a few hours of TV but by the time I would fall asleep it would be time to wake up for work. Sadly, I don't think there is anything you can do for it.
ReplyDeleteIt'll get better the further into the pregnancy you get, at least it did for me. Good luck :)